Hope used to be a foreign feeling to me. Something I felt was a stupid emotion for suckers. When I was in my several years long abusive relationship, I watched as my family had hope I’d wake up. I watched the heartache, the tears, the anger, and the devastation my family felt as they watched me lose more and more of myself. Hope seemed to be more of a liability, than anything.

It wasn’t until several things fell into place at the same time that I began to have hope, for myself. I had a therapist who was actually fantastic at his job, my father reached out to me in what felt like a last attempt to wake me up from the nightmare I helped create. And a man, that I later married, told me that he was in love with me. Thus began my journey of hope. I saw what my life could be, surrounded by family, surrounded by love.

The closer I get to God, the more I learn about love, and how hope and love go hand in hand. Where there is love, there is hope. I have hope for myself, hope for my loved ones, hope for my country, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, hope for my enemies. Hope is something that cannot be taken away from me, or anyone blessed enough to have it. I strongly encourage you all to strengthen your relationship with Christ. The love that comes from Him, is unlike anything else. It’s pure, it’s beautiful, it’s eternal, and unconditional. It’s uplifting.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes